


Not So Divine Guidance

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Community: trope_bingo, Gen, I gave in and wrote fic in yet another small fandom, Jack is probably in trouble again, My First Work in This Fandom, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 02, Pre-Season/Series 03, Reunions, Walkabout
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 21:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15494724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Post S2, pre-S3. Mac has tried to lose himself, searching for purpose and guidance. He finds both thanks to an unexpected reunion.





	Not So Divine Guidance

Mac was packing up camp when he heard someone approach. He grabbed the branch he'd been using to stir last night's fire and turned to face the potential attacker.

"Put that down," Mattie said. "We need to talk."

Mac tossed the branch aside with a sigh and went to sit on his sleeping roll. Mattie stood across from him, at the edge of the makeshift fire pit.

"I'm not coming back," Mac said.

"I'm not here to ask you to. I only came to tell you that Jack is missing."

Mac frowned, cold fear settling in his stomach. "What do you mean missing?"

"As in we don't know where he is. He said you'd had long enough off the grid and he was going to go and talk sense into you." Mattie tipped her head. "He's been out of contact for four days and we've found no trace of him. Now maybe he doesn't want to be found but consider this; you didn't want to be found and I've respected that until Jack went radio silent for more than 24 hours without notice. Yet here I am talking to you while Phoenix can't locate Jack at all."

Mac understood the implication. Jack was pretty good at covering his tracks but so was he, and that Phoenix could find him but not Jack didn't bode well. Furthermore, Jack wouldn't have gone silent without a good reason; he could be in trouble, injured, kidnapped, or worse.

"I've sent agents to investigate," Mattie went on, "but there's no trace of Jack at his last known location. Riley's combing satellite imagery and traffic cams with Bowser's help, but there's no sign of him. It's like he vanished into thin air. I spent the flight here hoping I'd find him drinking beers with you, having lost track of time or damaged his comms so badly even you couldn't wrangle up a replacement to send word."

"I wish he was here," Mac said and it was true. He'd walked away from Phoenix with barely a word, a quick goodbye to his friends telling them he needed some time and space to get his head together and decide on his next move and he'd meant it at the moment.

Jack had made some quip about job hunting versus camping and the perils involved in either before he'd pulled Mac into a hug. "Don't be a stranger," he'd said and Mac had agreed he wouldn't. Yet somehow the thought of contacting Jack felt like a return to normality and while Mac began to miss Jack dearly, he couldn't bring himself to break radio silence, not even to let Jack and the others know he was safe.

The days had turned into weeks and Mac was no closer to figuring out what to do next; the military? Police bomb disposal in some city far from his father - though the man would be watching his every move. Habitat for humanity, maybe. Or continue this walkabout, wandering through the wilderness in search of meaning and guidance, divine or otherwise.

In the army, before Jack had shown up in his life, Mac had known a Lieutenant Cortes who told him about being separated from his team the year before. Cortes been mildly concussed in the firefight and subsequent fall that had led to his becoming lost, and he spent two weeks with little water as he tried to find his way back to the camp or indeed anyone who could help him.

"I saw a spirit," Cortes said, and Mac thought it might the spirits they'd just done shots of that was talking, though Cortes was intense as he described the angelic looking figure that had appeared to guide him back. He couldn't see the face, couldn't see if the figure was male or female nor there was any way of distinguishing race. Yet he'd followed the clearly given directions, a gesture with one arm made of light and a strong sense rather than a voice telling him which way to go. Four hours after the vision Cortes had stumbled into camp to the surprise and relief of his team.

"I never told anyone about the spirit until now," Cortes said. "But you, Macgyver. I see something kindred in you. And you saved my life today. I tell you this tale as a mark of my respect for you."

Mac had lifted his shot glass, they'd toasted, and the subject had moved onto other, mundane, matters. Cortes had never again mentioned the encounter in the rest of the time they spent together and Mac hadn't thought about that story until he was camping under the stars, wishing someone or something would show him the way.

Mattie was not angelic. But she was here and she was giving him guidance. Mac nodded.

"So, when do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready," Mattie said and Mac got to his feet.

It took seconds to shrug his rucksack onto his shoulders and pick up his sleeping roll. "Let's go," he said and followed Mattie's lead onto what was barely a trail.

"Hold on Jack," Mac murmured. "I'm coming."

_end-

**Author's Note:**

> For the trope-bingo round 11 prompt "reunion"  
> [tumblr promo post](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/176450620097/not-so-divine-guidance-meridianrose)


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